


In This Together

by Captain Natasha Riker-Troi (textsfrompicard)



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Imzadi (Star Trek), Inspired by Novel, Missing Scene, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/textsfrompicard/pseuds/Captain%20Natasha%20Riker-Troi
Summary: Deanna needs Will’s help coming to terms with her unresolved emotions after his successful rescue from being a prisoner of war.
Relationships: William Riker/Deanna Troi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14
Collections: Star Trek Holidays 2020





	In This Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [refusetoshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/refusetoshine/gifts).



> This is a missing scene from the TNG novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace, referencing events from the previous books in the series, A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal.

“Will… we need to talk.”

At those words, Will sat up a little straighter in the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Generally, those were not words one wanted to hear from one’s fiancée. But something was apparently so important that Deanna felt the need to wake him in the middle of the night.

“You’re not leaving me, are you?” he half-joked.

Deanna’s eyes widened briefly in surprise before she laughed softly and stroked his hair. “Of course not! But... I wasn’t completely honest with you before, and I wanted to clarify things as soon as possible.”

Will was a little more awake by this point, and his mind immediately flashed through the series of events that had occurred before he fell asleep; Lwaxana calling in response to their letter announcing their engagement, bringing an abrupt end to the poker game; her insistence that the wedding take place on Betazed; Deanna’s subsequent loss of temper and the unusually fiery argument that had ensued between them; his fiancée’s odd, tearful evasiveness afterwards and falling asleep in each other’s arms. “You’re ready to explain why you got so angry at your mother for just being predictably herself?”

“Yes,” said Deanna, rolling her eyes at Will’s unerringly accurate description of Lwaxana Troi, “But it wasn’t _her_ I was really angry at. It was… Minza.”

“Minza? General Minza who helped Kinchawn take me prisoner and hold me captive for a month? The guy who was captured by security and interrogated on the Enterprise while I was being held prisoner on the surface?”

Deanna nodded and clenched her fists, her knuckles turning so white they looked like they were about to break free of the skin. She fixed her gaze on a distant point across the room. “I helped interrogate him… or at least I tried to. I did everything legally possible to break him… he _knew_ where you were being held, and he wouldn’t say a word, except to say, ‘if this is your worst… I pity you.’ I threw everything I had at him, and he just _laughed_ at me. He _knew_ where you were, and—” She broke off abruptly, too overcome with fury to continue. For a moment she regretted taking Counselor Del Cid’s advice to tell Will what was bothering her. Her anger began to rise again, and she clenched her fists even tighter, for fear of lashing out in an uncontrollable rage—

And then his hands were on hers, and his gentle touch momentarily quenched the flame within her. She exhaled forcefully, looking down at their entwined hands so she wouldn’t have to look him in the eyes. “I wanted to hurt him, Will. I wanted so badly to wipe that smarmy smirk off his face, to completely disregard the laws against unethical treatment of prisoners… I wanted to make him _suffer_. But I didn’t, and then he was extradited back to Tezwa and he died under questioning, but I still have all this _anger_ inside me, with nowhere to go. I—” abruptly she stopped talking again, as shame burned deep within her chest. She’d run out of words for the moment, anyway. There were only so many ways to say _I’m angry_ , and at some point she was going to have to let Will react. She hadn’t wanted to bother him at all with this, but now that she had, she realized why. “My people are renowned pacifists. Starfleet officers are supposed to be the best of the best, and counselors in particular have this reputation for being cool, calm, and collected, and totally unflappable. But it took all of my self-control, everything I had, to not beat that smug Tezwan general to an unrecognizable pulp. Betazoids are supposed to be better than that. _I’m_ supposed to be better than that.” Shame and anger warred for dominance inside her as she closed her eyes, breathing heavily. “I don’t know how to get past this. I need your help, _Imzadi_.”

Will released her hands from his and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He rocked her back and forth in silence for a moment, then he kissed the top of her head and smiled ruefully. “I can tell you, if I had been in your place… if it was _you_ being held prisoner down there, and the only thing standing in the way of rescuing you was one uncooperative prisoner… then I would be sitting in the brig right now awaiting court-martial, because I would have killed him with my bare hands. So under the circumstances, I think you showed incredible restraint. And I think you’re better than you realize. What you felt— are feeling— is perfectly natural, and it takes incredible strength to not give in to those feelings.” He cupped her face with his hand and kissed her tenderly, pressing his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t be prouder of you, _Imzadi_.”

Deanna blushed furiously as she let out a chuckle that was half embarrassed, half relieved. “I didn’t want to burden you with this before, after everything you’ve been through, but I realized you were right earlier. We’re in this together now, and it’s not fair to you to keep part of myself closed off like I was doing.” She kissed him again, noticing as she did so that she suddenly felt much lighter than she had a few minutes ago, as if an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

 _No, not entirely_ , she reflected. The anger was still there, but it was more manageable, more controlled. She was no longer carrying her burden alone. Nor would she ever have to carry any burden alone, ever again. She had someone to share her life with, all her joys and sorrows, in sickness and in health, as long as they both shall live.

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she hugged Will fiercely, burying her face in his neck. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, _Imzadi_.”

Will stroked her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead as he promised huskily, “You won’t ever have to find out.”


End file.
